Hello to all Arts and Crafts woodworkers. but aren’t we all. I wish to pose a question that has no real answer. I currently sell arts and crafts type woodworking via word-of-mouth, friend to friend, advertising by posting pictures on Lumberjocks and Facebook (many friends know about these sites), and in a consignment store (this being just a week old). Now I must clarify that the scrollsaw is my primary tool of use in this operation.

My question is what sells well for you, Of course this time of year it is holiday and Christmas items. Now looking forward to January what items do I put into the mix? Perhaps doll furniture, or candle trays, or boxes of some type.

First I know that a mix of these would be best. Something for everyone. We all know if we hit the next wave then we can’t make enough items. I have been in retail and marketing for many years and understand the basics. However selling like this is somewhat new to me. I know that advertising is the key however expense is the issue.

Any and all input is welcomed and valued. Thanks for your time to review this information.

2 comments so far

This is the million dollar question. Lately at the farmers market and craft shows i have done well with ornaments, personalized desk nameplates, keychains, and other small stuff. A lot depends on your target market of course. Have you checked out any craft shows in your area? In my area it seems that a lot of churches and other civic organizations are having their fall craft sales in Oct. and Nov. . Word of mouth is always good, just getting the word out is challenging sometimes, I feel that by doing the market and other shows that we have been doing, even though we haven’t made a fortune, has given me a lot of exposure that I wouldn’t get otherwise. With the type items we make, I feel like that people will be more apt to buy if they can see it in person. I also take my laptop with me to these shows so I can show people other patterns that i have available. There is always http://www.etsy.com/ and http://www.madeitmyself.com/ or https://www.artfire.com

That is an interesting question, and of course there is no pat answer. I have been playing in the “making stuff to sell” arena for a couple of years, and still don’t have a handle on it. You never really know till you put it out there. I do think it has a lot to do with the area you sell your stuff, and where you show your stuff in that area. I live in West Texas, and have found that just about anything with a Texas theme will sell. I have also sold a bunch of cowboy / cowgirl wine bottle holders http://lumberjocks.com/projects/51213 there is a Santa version of the wine holder that does well this time of year. The majority of these were sold at a wine shop, but they also do well at consignment stores and art/craft fairs. The wine shop is a good place to move wine related items, epically those that have a Texas or western theme. Large items such as small bars, tables, clocks, etc. sell better at consignment stores which makes sense. Some really good advice I read on LumberJocks a few months ago was “don’t try to compete with WalMart”.

I saw your latest post, and was wondering what kind of scroll saw you use?I bought a less expensive (Porter Cable) last year for some special projects,and found I really enjoy scrolling.Thinking about upgrading. Also went to your profile and saw the rest of your projects, very good.I did notice you make ointments and crosses, do they sell?